V. I. Lenin

To Pupils of the Capri School{1}

Written:Written October 1909Published:First published in 1933 inLenin Miscellany XXV.

      Published according to the manuscript.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,[1974],

      Moscow,Volume 16,

      pages82-84.Translated:Transcription\Markup:R. CymbalaCopyleft:V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marxists.org)
      © 2004

      Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the
      terms of theGNU Free Documentation License.

Dearcomrades, we have received both your letters about the
incipient split in the “school”. These are the first comradely letters of
kindred thinkers to reach us from Capri and they have made all of us very
happy. We most heartily welcome the clear, demarcation in the school.

Itrequired: time, of course, to lay bare the true character of the
school as a new centre of the new faction. We did not doubt for a moment
that sooner 0r later the most class conscious Social-Democratic workers
would find their bearings in this situation and select the right path. We
learn from Moscow that letters have been received there from out-and-out
“Bogdanovist” pupils of the school who are campaigning openly for the
Capri centre andvery greatly helpingall Social-Democratic
workers to understand the true significance of the Capri school.

Nowto come to the matter in hand. You, must, comrades, thoroughly
think over the new situation that has arisen so that we can discuss it
together and take the right steps, choosing the right time for them. You
understand,of course, that a split in, the school is now inevitable: you
yourselves write that you cannot feel at home in such a school. You, of
course, are not counting on united action with the out-and-out
“Bogdanovists”. And once matters have reached such a pitch that a split
in the school isinevitable, it is necessary to understand clearly
the significance of this split, to have a clear idea of the struggle
ensuing from the split, and how the Bogdanovists will, try to
“disarm” all of you (i. e., to deprive you, of the possibility
of making your influence felt and of telling the truth about the school),to compromiseall of you (the nickname “agent of the Bolshevik
Centre” bandied about, as you say, by Alexinsky is only a beginning; it is
only the bud,the fruit is still to come), etc., etc.

Youmust think this over thoroughly and act firmly, resolutely and
intelligently, as in a battle; you yourselves write that a “battle” is
going on in the school over the platform. This is the beginning ofbattlesagainst youwhereverthe Bogdanovists have
penetrated.

Youshould begin by making an accurate count of your numbers. How manyresoluteopponents of the “Bogdanovist” platform are there? Can
this number be increased or not? If yes, then how and in what period of
time? If not, then what is the behaviour of the “neutrals”? You must
think over what your behaviour should be during an inevitable split in the
school in order as far as possible towin overthese neutralsto your sideor at worst to prevent them falling wholly into the
hands of the Bogdanovists.

Further,how do you intend to arrange your exit from the school? As a
simple departure or as a withdrawal owing to the struggle over platforms?
Of course, if the struggle among you has developed as rapidly as one might
judge from your first two letters, the split has perhaps already happened,
i. e., perhaps the Bogdanovists have already ousted you, quite simply
ousted you, and in that case there is nothing to be said. If this has not
yet happened—think carefully over how you will arrange your
departure. You must give a reply to all the Russian organisations. You must
refute, precisely and clearly, by giving the facts, all the thousands of
attacks which will now be heaped on you by the “Bogdanovists”. You must
be prepared to defend your views on the school and on the “platform” of
the Bogdanovists.

Ifthe question of your departure arises you must see that you are
given the means for travelling to Russia. That is the school’s obligation,
just as prior to the split among the Bolsheviks it was the obligation of
the Bolshevik Centre to pay the expenses of travelling to Russia (after the
December Party Conference of 1908) for Lyadov, Vsevolod and Stanislav. They
demanded their expenses from us at that time and received them.

Weshall, of course, help you as regards passports and a meeting with
us (in Paris or in some small town, where it would be more secret and save
you time, as well as being cheaper). We will discuss where to meet as a
separate question and make a choice later on. Our finances are not
brilliant and we can only give you modest assistance.

Iam writing all this to clarify matters and to exchange opinions with
you. When we have received more detailed replies from you and cleared up
all the questions by our correspondence we shall convene the executive
committee of the enlarged editorial board ofProletaryand then
settle the amount of assistance, the time and, place of our meeting, and so
forth.

Pleaseanswer in detail. Can you give us yourdirectaddress?

With greetings,The Secretary of“Proletary”

{1}To Pupils of the Capri Schoolwas written by Lenin in October
1909 in reply to two letters of the workers who were studying at the school
and who had dissociated themselves from the Bogdanov group. The letters of
the Leninist students were published together with Lenin’s article “A
Shameful Fiasco” (see pp. 85–86 of this volume) as a separate reprint
from the newspaperProletaryNo. 50, November 28 (December 11),
1909.